"Zoo"
By: Edward D. Hoch
The children were always good during the month of August,
especially when it began to get near the twenty-third. It was on this day that
the great silver spaceship carrying Professor Hugo's Interplanetary Zoo settled
down for its annual six-hour visit to the Chicago area.
Before daybreak the crowds would form, long lines of children
and adults both, each one clutching his or her dollar, and waiting with
wonderment to see what race of strange creatures the Professor had brought this
year.
In the past they had sometimes been treated to three-legged
creatures from Venus, or tall, thin men from Mars, or even snake-like horrors
from somewhere more distant. This year, as the great round ship settled slowly
to earth in the huge tri-city parking area just outside of Chicago, they watched
with awe as the sides slowly slid up to reveal the familiar barred cages. In
them were some wild breed of nightmare--small, horse-like animals that moved
with quick, jerking motions and constantly chattered in a high-pitched tongue.
The citizens of Earth clustered around as Professor Hugo's crew quickly
collected the waiting dollars, and soon the good Professor himself made an
appearance, wearing his many-colored rainbow cape and top hat. ``Peoples of
Earth,'' he called into his microphone.
The crowd's noise died down and he continued. ``Peoples of
Earth, this year you see a real treat for your single dollar--the little-known
horse-spider people of Kaan--brought to you across a million miles of space at
great expense. Gather around, see them, study them, listen to them, tell your
friends about them. But hurry! My ship can remain here only six hours!
And the crowds slowly filed by, at once horrified and fascinated
by these strange creatures that looked like horses but ran up the walls of their
cages like spiders. ``This is certainly worth a dollar,'' one man remarked,
hurrying away. ``I'm going home to get the wife.''
All day long it went like that, until ten thousand people had
filed by the barred cages set into the side of the spaceship. Then, as the
six-hour limit ran out, Professor Hugo once more took microphone in hand. ``We
must go now, but we will return next year on this date. And if you enjoyed our
zoo this year, phone your friends in other cities about it. We will land in New
York tomorrow, and next week on to London, Paris, Rome, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.
Then on to other worlds!
He waved farewell to them, and as the ship rose from the ground
the Earth peoples agreed that this had been the very best Zoo yet. . . .
Some two months and three planets later, the silver ship of
Professor Hugo settled at last onto the familiar jagged rocks of Kaan, and the
queer horse-spider creatures filed quickly out of their cages. Professor Hugo
was there to say a few parting words, and then they scurried away in a hundred
different directions, seeking their homes among the rocks.
In one, the she-creature was happy to see the return of her mate
and offspring. She babbled a greeting in the strange tongue and hurried to
embrace them. ``It was a long time you were gone. Was it good?''
And the he-creature nodded. ``The little one enjoyed it
especially. We visited eight worlds and saw many things.''
The little one ran up the wall of the cave. ``On the place
called Earth it was the best. The creatures there wear garments over skins, and
they walk on two legs.''
``But isn't it dangerous?'' asked the she-creature.
``No,'' her mate answered. ``There are bars to protect us from
them. We remain right in the ship. Next time you must come with us. It is well
worth the nineteen commocs it costs.''
And the little one nodded. ``It was the very best Zoo ever. . .
.''
